Illuminated sign.



C. A. McNEAL.

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APILICATIO 1916. I 1,226,550. Patented May 15, 1917.

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l: n, i W t h v CHARLES A. MONEAL, OF COLUMBUS, OI-IIO.

ILLUMINATED SIGN! Application filed February 4, 1916'.

1 b all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. MGNEAL, a citizen of the United States, resident of Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Illuminated Signs; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it ap pertains to make and use the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a front view of the sign.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 Fig. 1.

The invention has relation to illuminated signs, having for its object to light the background of a sign and the letters or design, from the rays of the same lamps, in vcontrasting colors. Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

.The invention consists in the novel construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention, which is designed primarily for an eXteriorly lighted sign, the numeral 2 designates a portion of a sign, including the letters S and T, formed usually by disk reflectors 3, struck from the sheet metal of said face plate and connected to the face plate each by a narrow neck or necks 4, and set at different angles to said plate, for the purpose'hereinafter explained.

The illumination is furnished by lamps or incandescent bulbs 5, 5, set within or at one side of the letters or design, and projecting forwardly of the reflectors 3.

The face plate 2 is colored red, blue, green or other color contrasting to white, as may be desired, the tips 6 of the bulbs being colored. to harmonize or correspond, the sides of said bulbs being left as usual, the rays of light transmitted to the observer from.

i said tips being of the same color as that of the background or face plate of the sign, so that the bulbs themselves are not seen, being lost or coalescing in the background.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 1917.

Serial No. 76,122.

The disk reflectors are arranged in groups around the respective lamps or light bulbs, and are set at such angles that the radiating rays of light from the lamp shall be reflected straightforward to the observer. The angles at which the reflectors are set to the face plate will be the same in those reflectors that are equally distant from the lamp, but in those reflectors that are more distant the angular relation to the face plate will be greater than in those that are nearer. In all of the reflectors the inclination will be toward the lamp.

The background being of the same color and tone as the lamp tip, the result is a vividly colored background, wherein the lamps are lost or are not seen, and an intense white letter, both lighted from the same lamp or lamps, there being at the same time a great saving in the operating eX- pense, as no lamps at all are set in the letters and fewer lamps are required to illuminate the sign.

The letters are usually white, and the rcflectors may be polished metal or faced with porcelain, mercury or other suitable reflecting material. The tips of the bulbs may be dipped in coloring medium, or colored transparent hoods may be used instead. The background and the lamp tips can be made white, and the letters and reflectors colored. if desired. Or the background and lamp tips may be in one color and the letters in another contrasting color, white and black being considered as colors.

The lamps are preferably set in the open spaces, in the letters having open spaces, but may be set in other suitable places adjacent to the letters of the sign.

The lamp tips, instead of being colored, may be obscured or dimmed, to wholly or partially harmonize with the background.

I claim:

In an illuminated sign, a face plate, a lamp, reflectors set in the outline of a letter or design and unequally distant from 1n rear of and grouped around said lamp, said reflectors having different inclinations with respect to said face plate toward and facing the lamp, the inclinations varying ac cording to the distance of the reflector from In testimony whereof I aflix 111v signathe lamp and being decreased in those reture, in presence of two Witnesses.

fiectors that are nearer the lamp to reflect CHARLES A. MGNEAL.

the rays of light incident to corresponding Witnesses: 5 portions of all of the reflectors outwardly LILLm WELSH,

in parallel lines. E. J. WELSH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

